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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Thad and Kelley were absolutely precious! From the very beginning you can feel their chemistry and it only gets bigger and bigger as they found themselves trapped in the same cabin for two weeks.
I loved the anxiety rep and how Thad manages to find exactly what Kelley needs to be truly himself. I don’t read a lot of secret relationship romance but that one did it for me for sure! My heart broke for these two men who obviously want to be with each other…
The cameos were perfect, made me want to reread Brady’s book so much. And Eden made a pretty good job at introducing possible new characters for the series (I’m hoping Thad’s brother at some point?). I have a very good idea about who the next couple might be
I loved the anxiety rep and how Thad manages to find exactly what Kelley needs to be truly himself. I don’t read a lot of secret relationship romance but that one did it for me for sure! My heart broke for these two men who obviously want to be with each other…
The cameos were perfect, made me want to reread Brady’s book so much. And Eden made a pretty good job at introducing possible new characters for the series (I’m hoping Thad’s brother at some point?). I have a very good idea about who the next couple might be
Thad and Kelley were just wonderful! It was a bit emotional, very heartfelt and I just wanted to hug them and squeeze them. Their relationship progression was beautiful; they opened up, communicated and took chances without being too reckless. And it definitely paid off.
I loved seeing Damon again, and getting glimpses of Brady's story from the outside was a great addition.
I loved seeing Damon again, and getting glimpses of Brady's story from the outside was a great addition.
Really enjoyable read. Adored having more Damon and Brady.
For years, I've been reading Eden Finley's books. Funny enough, Fake Out was one of the first books of hers that I read, so when I heard that there was a new saga coming out about King Sports, I was so excited to read about Damon again because I missed him. Even though this book isn't about him, I love the parallels between Damon's and Thad's relationship with baseball, how both of them had to give up on a lifelong dream of being professional players.
When Thad expresses his feelings of not being good enough to do the one thing he thinks he excels at, it’s disheartening. Then he meets Kelley Afton, a man who not only is living out Thad's dream but is also incredibly talented. At the beginning, Thad is bitter towards Kelley because he is living HIS dream and seems (in Thad's eyes) to not appreciate it. Thad thinks Kelley is just another diva, annoyed because things don't go his way.
The plan of becoming an agent as a backup consumes all of Thad's thoughts. His baseball dreams cloud this potential future of a fulfilling career. When he learns that Kelley's issues with social media don't stem from narcissism but rather from multiple anxiety disorders, Thad admits he hasn’t been doing his best to succeed in this new path. He realizes he is self-sabotaging and hasn't even given himself a real chance to turn this backup plan into a reality he could be happy in.
On the other hand, Kelley deals with the consequences of coming out in a world that isn’t always friendly to queer people. His addiction to checking social media comes from a need for reassurance. His anxiety makes him think that everyone hates him—for being gay, for not being good enough, and for a million other reasons. So when he reads mean and homophobic comments about himself, it only confirms that he was right: he shouldn't have come out.
Their meeting and learning about each other’s issues is fundamental for them to grow past the problems that were making their lives miserable. It’s not that the power of love cures them of their insecurities, but rather that meeting each other gives them perspective. This relationship begins as something so casual it wasn’t even supposed to repeat, yet they find themselves thinking about each other in ways they never imagined before. I loved the longing they had for each other and how they begin to question how much they are willing to sacrifice to make the relationship a reality and make it work.
*****
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
When Thad expresses his feelings of not being good enough to do the one thing he thinks he excels at, it’s disheartening. Then he meets Kelley Afton, a man who not only is living out Thad's dream but is also incredibly talented. At the beginning, Thad is bitter towards Kelley because he is living HIS dream and seems (in Thad's eyes) to not appreciate it. Thad thinks Kelley is just another diva, annoyed because things don't go his way.
The plan of becoming an agent as a backup consumes all of Thad's thoughts. His baseball dreams cloud this potential future of a fulfilling career. When he learns that Kelley's issues with social media don't stem from narcissism but rather from multiple anxiety disorders, Thad admits he hasn’t been doing his best to succeed in this new path. He realizes he is self-sabotaging and hasn't even given himself a real chance to turn this backup plan into a reality he could be happy in.
On the other hand, Kelley deals with the consequences of coming out in a world that isn’t always friendly to queer people. His addiction to checking social media comes from a need for reassurance. His anxiety makes him think that everyone hates him—for being gay, for not being good enough, and for a million other reasons. So when he reads mean and homophobic comments about himself, it only confirms that he was right: he shouldn't have come out.
Their meeting and learning about each other’s issues is fundamental for them to grow past the problems that were making their lives miserable. It’s not that the power of love cures them of their insecurities, but rather that meeting each other gives them perspective. This relationship begins as something so casual it wasn’t even supposed to repeat, yet they find themselves thinking about each other in ways they never imagined before. I loved the longing they had for each other and how they begin to question how much they are willing to sacrifice to make the relationship a reality and make it work.
*****
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Fake Out- The book that started it all for me!!! Got me back into romance and reading! I cannot believe 2ish years ago I read about EVERYBODY’s favorite fake boyfriends and now Damon is living it!!! After I felt that “Can’t say goodbye “ was a little underwhelming, I thought it would be the last of the Fake BF universe but I AM SO GLAD I WAS WRONG! I admit I did not have very high expectations from this book but if Eden Finley writes it I READ IT!!!
And boy I was so glad I did!!! Thad and Kelly are so adorable and perfect together!!! Most of all ALWAYS LOVE THE DAMON cameos and he was almost a side character in this book!!! Would have loved to see him and Maddox in their element but I LOVED ALL THE EASTER EGGS!!!! Also did not miss the Oscar plug and the Lane cameo… them referring to Damon as daddy was hilarious and made me feel old. Any book in this universe has a tendency to make me nostalgic because with Damon being a linchpin throughout, it almost feels like I grew up with him in this world!!
The story itself was unique and also reminiscent of when Damon himself was trying to court athletes… I just loved the mentor-mentee element of Damon and Thad’s relationship!!! Kelly is sunshine packed in an anxious baseball player. Him and Thad were perfect for each other and while it seemed “taboo” in my opinion their relationship was very aboveboard since Thad never got involved in Kelly’s professional life.
Will I be going back and re-reading Fakeout and the Puckboy series’ again? Yes, yes I will no further questions!!!!!
And boy I was so glad I did!!! Thad and Kelly are so adorable and perfect together!!! Most of all ALWAYS LOVE THE DAMON cameos and he was almost a side character in this book!!! Would have loved to see him and Maddox in their element but I LOVED ALL THE EASTER EGGS!!!! Also did not miss the Oscar plug and the Lane cameo… them referring to Damon as daddy was hilarious and made me feel old. Any book in this universe has a tendency to make me nostalgic because with Damon being a linchpin throughout, it almost feels like I grew up with him in this world!!
The story itself was unique and also reminiscent of when Damon himself was trying to court athletes… I just loved the mentor-mentee element of Damon and Thad’s relationship!!! Kelly is sunshine packed in an anxious baseball player. Him and Thad were perfect for each other and while it seemed “taboo” in my opinion their relationship was very aboveboard since Thad never got involved in Kelly’s professional life.
Will I be going back and re-reading Fakeout and the Puckboy series’ again? Yes, yes I will no further questions!!!!!
Thad & Kelley
There are so many things to love about this book and these MCs, I don't know where to begin! Eden Finley is such a fantastic and talented author and I'm always excited to jump into one of her books. I remember Damon & Maddox from their book, and I remember reading Brady's story with his guys too. Each character in these stories are so wonderful and interesting. It's been several months since I read the previous stories and I remembered them vividly. It really helped to feel even more comfortable with the way Thad and Kelley interacted with the King Sports world.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and while this doesn't totally fit that trope, it's definitely enough of an antagonistic start for them that it feeds into the story similarly, but I love how quickly those feelings shifted once the guys got to know one another better. Their instant chemistry was really enthralling and exciting.
I really loved watching Thad find his place in the King Sports world. He knows his faults and how he first felt with his role in the company, but once he shook off his own issues with his baseball past, he really grew into himself and he deserved his HEA with Kelley. And it was really great to see Kelley find his own personal strength with his anxiety. His achievements in this story are incredibly rewarding and inspirational. These guys were plenty silly, but very much still sweet and steamy. Their HEA was wonderful and well-deserved for what they each had to push through in one way or another.
These guys are the best, and I'm sure it won't be the last we hear from them in the continued series. I'm really looking forward to the next set of MCs. Even though it's not explicitly stated, I have my suspicions about who's next.
There are so many things to love about this book and these MCs, I don't know where to begin! Eden Finley is such a fantastic and talented author and I'm always excited to jump into one of her books. I remember Damon & Maddox from their book, and I remember reading Brady's story with his guys too. Each character in these stories are so wonderful and interesting. It's been several months since I read the previous stories and I remembered them vividly. It really helped to feel even more comfortable with the way Thad and Kelley interacted with the King Sports world.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and while this doesn't totally fit that trope, it's definitely enough of an antagonistic start for them that it feeds into the story similarly, but I love how quickly those feelings shifted once the guys got to know one another better. Their instant chemistry was really enthralling and exciting.
I really loved watching Thad find his place in the King Sports world. He knows his faults and how he first felt with his role in the company, but once he shook off his own issues with his baseball past, he really grew into himself and he deserved his HEA with Kelley. And it was really great to see Kelley find his own personal strength with his anxiety. His achievements in this story are incredibly rewarding and inspirational. These guys were plenty silly, but very much still sweet and steamy. Their HEA was wonderful and well-deserved for what they each had to push through in one way or another.
These guys are the best, and I'm sure it won't be the last we hear from them in the continued series. I'm really looking forward to the next set of MCs. Even though it's not explicitly stated, I have my suspicions about who's next.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes